FOR SULLIVAN FROM HABIB
1. BETWEEN RECEIPT OF REFS A AND B, WE SCROUNGED THE
FOLLOWING INFORMATION ON USAF PLANNING FOR PACIFIC COMMAND
STRUCTURE WHICH I HAD INTENDED TO PASS ALONG TO YOU IN
MANILA. WE WILL TRY TO GET A BETTER READING OVER THE
NEXT FEW WEEKS AND WILL IN ANY EVENT DO OUR BEST TO ENSURE
THAT YOUR VIEWS ARE SOLICITED BEFORE DEFENSE MAKES A
DECISION.
2. ISA IS QUITE SURE THAT SECRETARY SCHLESINGER WILL NOT
AGREE TO A NEW SOUTHWEST PACIFIC COMMAND OF THE KIND
DESCRIBED TO YOU BY JONES. WITH THE DIS-ESTABLISHMENT OF
PACAF, ONE OR POSSIBLY TWO CONTINGENCY COMMANDS MAY BE
SECRET
SECRET
PAGE 02 STATE 023676
ESTABLISHED IN THE PACIFIC AREA AS PAPER ORGANIZATIONS
WHICH COULD BE ACTIVATED IN AN EMERGENCY. WE SEE NO
PARTICULAR PROBLEM WITH THIS, AND ASSUME FROM YOUR COMMENTS
TO JONES THAT YOU DON'T EITHER.
3. JONES WOULD NOT ONLY LIKE TO CONSOLIDATE THE COMMAND
OF THE 7TH AND 13TH AIR FORCES UNDER A FOUR-STAR GENERAL
AT CLARK BUT ALSO WANTS TO INCLUDE THE 5TH AIR FORCE FROM
JAPAN. ISA CONSIDERS THE THAI/PHILIPPINE COMBINATION
LOGICAL AND SUSPECTS THAT A FOUR-STAR COMMANDER AT CLARK
MAY BE INEVITABLE BECAUSE OF SERVICE INTEREST IN PLACING
WILSON. HOWEVER, THEY AND, AT LEAST TO SOME EXTENT, JCS
OPPOSE PLACING THE 5TH AIR FORCE UNDER CLARK. WE HAVE
INDICATED THAT WE WOULD HAVE GREAT RESERVATIONS ABOUT
SUCH A MOVE FOR BOTH JAPANESE AND PHILIPPINE REASONS.
WE HAVE ALSO TOLD ISA THAT WE CONSIDER A FOUR-STAR AT
CLARK QUESTIONABLE BUT WE HAVE NOT WEIGHED IN STRONGLY.
4. IN ADDITION TO OUR CONVERSATION WITH ISA, WE HAVE
GOTTEN A FURTHER EXPOSITION OF WHAT JONES HAS IN MIND
FROM A CONVERSATION WHICH HE HAD WITH ZURHELLEN (BEING
REPORTED TO YOU BY LETTER). IN SUM (A) WE THINK IT
LIKELY THAT THE 7TH AND 13TH AIR FORCES MAY BE COMBINED
AT CLARK UNDER A FOUR-STAR GENERAL; AND (B) WE THINK IT
UNLIKELY THAT THE 5TH AIR FORCE COMMAND WILL BE MOVED
AND WE WILL OPPOSE SUCH A PROPOSAL. IF YOU WANT ME TO
TAKE A MORE NEGATIVE VIEW ON THE PRICKLY MATTER OF
STARS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. KISSINGER
SECRET
NNN
*** Current Handling Restrictions *** STADIS
*** Current Classification *** SECRET

Raw content

SECRET
PAGE 01 STATE 023676
60
ORIGIN SS-25
INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 /026 R
DRAFTED BY EA:WHGLEYSTEEN,JR.:AVM
APPROVED BY EA:PCHABIB
EA/PHL - ECHULEN
S/S - PSHANKLE
--------------------- 121272
P 010204Z PEB 75
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO AMEMBASSY MANILA PRIORITY
S E C R E T STATE 023676
STADIS/////////////////////////////////////////
EXDIS
E.O. 11652: GDS
TAGS: MARR, RP
SUBJECT: REORGANIZATION OF PACIFIC AIR FORCES
REFS: A) MANILA 1348; B) 764
FOR SULLIVAN FROM HABIB
1. BETWEEN RECEIPT OF REFS A AND B, WE SCROUNGED THE
FOLLOWING INFORMATION ON USAF PLANNING FOR PACIFIC COMMAND
STRUCTURE WHICH I HAD INTENDED TO PASS ALONG TO YOU IN
MANILA. WE WILL TRY TO GET A BETTER READING OVER THE
NEXT FEW WEEKS AND WILL IN ANY EVENT DO OUR BEST TO ENSURE
THAT YOUR VIEWS ARE SOLICITED BEFORE DEFENSE MAKES A
DECISION.
2. ISA IS QUITE SURE THAT SECRETARY SCHLESINGER WILL NOT
AGREE TO A NEW SOUTHWEST PACIFIC COMMAND OF THE KIND
DESCRIBED TO YOU BY JONES. WITH THE DIS-ESTABLISHMENT OF
PACAF, ONE OR POSSIBLY TWO CONTINGENCY COMMANDS MAY BE
SECRET
SECRET
PAGE 02 STATE 023676
ESTABLISHED IN THE PACIFIC AREA AS PAPER ORGANIZATIONS
WHICH COULD BE ACTIVATED IN AN EMERGENCY. WE SEE NO
PARTICULAR PROBLEM WITH THIS, AND ASSUME FROM YOUR COMMENTS
TO JONES THAT YOU DON'T EITHER.
3. JONES WOULD NOT ONLY LIKE TO CONSOLIDATE THE COMMAND
OF THE 7TH AND 13TH AIR FORCES UNDER A FOUR-STAR GENERAL
AT CLARK BUT ALSO WANTS TO INCLUDE THE 5TH AIR FORCE FROM
JAPAN. ISA CONSIDERS THE THAI/PHILIPPINE COMBINATION
LOGICAL AND SUSPECTS THAT A FOUR-STAR COMMANDER AT CLARK
MAY BE INEVITABLE BECAUSE OF SERVICE INTEREST IN PLACING
WILSON. HOWEVER, THEY AND, AT LEAST TO SOME EXTENT, JCS
OPPOSE PLACING THE 5TH AIR FORCE UNDER CLARK. WE HAVE
INDICATED THAT WE WOULD HAVE GREAT RESERVATIONS ABOUT
SUCH A MOVE FOR BOTH JAPANESE AND PHILIPPINE REASONS.
WE HAVE ALSO TOLD ISA THAT WE CONSIDER A FOUR-STAR AT
CLARK QUESTIONABLE BUT WE HAVE NOT WEIGHED IN STRONGLY.
4. IN ADDITION TO OUR CONVERSATION WITH ISA, WE HAVE
GOTTEN A FURTHER EXPOSITION OF WHAT JONES HAS IN MIND
FROM A CONVERSATION WHICH HE HAD WITH ZURHELLEN (BEING
REPORTED TO YOU BY LETTER). IN SUM (A) WE THINK IT
LIKELY THAT THE 7TH AND 13TH AIR FORCES MAY BE COMBINED
AT CLARK UNDER A FOUR-STAR GENERAL; AND (B) WE THINK IT
UNLIKELY THAT THE 5TH AIR FORCE COMMAND WILL BE MOVED
AND WE WILL OPPOSE SUCH A PROPOSAL. IF YOU WANT ME TO
TAKE A MORE NEGATIVE VIEW ON THE PRICKLY MATTER OF
STARS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. KISSINGER
SECRET
NNN
*** Current Handling Restrictions *** STADIS
*** Current Classification *** SECRET